Genesis
by Tail Kinker
Summary: Ranma learns a startling fact about his parentage...one that he's simply not ready to deal with. This fic started life as a gag challenge from chaosburnflame, so it is not meant to be taken seriously. But I had fun with it. I hope you do as well.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer_

_I don't own any of the characters herein._

**Tail Kinker presents**

**Genesis**

**Chapter One**

_March 18th, 2000_

"Happy birthday, son."

Ranma glanced up. He'd left the party rather early, to come up to the roof of the dojo and look at the stars. He was rather surprised that his father had made the effort to follow him.

"Thanks, Pop." He grinned. "Twenty-one. I can't believe it."

"Well, don't go feeling like an old man." His father sat down beside him. "That's my job. You still have a long time to live."

"Yeah, but..." He sighed. "The last six years have been...like something out of a cheesy manga."

"At least you and Akane finally got married. And my first grandchild will be along in a few more months."

"Yeah..." He stared down at his feet. "Honestly, Pop, that kinda scares me."

"All new fathers are afraid of the prospect." Genma sighed. "Especially if, like yourself, your own father made...mistakes."

"How do I know if I'm gonna be any good as a dad?"

"You will be. Just avoid my mistakes. And whatever you do, don't let Akane get a katana."

They sat in companionable silence for a while, then Genma spoke again.

"I've tried to fix most of my mistakes. We finally got you cured of the ailurophobia. Ukyo and Konatsu are happily married, the Amazons are gone, Kodachi's in an asylum...there are only two mistakes left unfixed."

"The curse."

"To tell you the truth, boy, there's a possible cure for that, but I've hesitated to reveal it to you."

"Really?" Ranma's head snapped around. "You know of a cure?"

"Yes. But it lies very far from here. And it relates to my other mistake."

"What other mistake?"

"I should have told you this a decade ago." Genma lay back, staring up at the sky. "I love your mother very much. When I first came to Japan, twenty-five years ago, I was supposed to go home in five years. But I stayed, because of her. And that was a mistake."

"Came to Japan? I thought you were born in Kyoto."

"No." He shook his head. "All part of the web of lies I had to spin for your mother. I wasn't born in Japan, or anywhere close to here."

"Where were you born, then?"

Genma glanced over. "Sure you want to know?"

"Yeah."

Genma raised an arm, and pointed out towards the sky. Ranma followed his hand, his mouth gaping in disbelief.

"You...you're not human?"

Genma shook his head. "No. Outwardly, my people appear human, and I've been slightly altered, genetically, to blend into Japan. But we're not human. Not you, nor me. Your mother is human, but you inherited my people's nature."

Ranma jumped to his feet. "Why the hell did you never tell me this before?"

"I couldn't think how!" Genma shook his head. "As long as I kept you away from doctors, we were safe. Our internal body structure is quite different in many ways from that of humans. You yourself are proof that we are cross-fertile with humans."

"No..." He shook his head. "I can't believe this."

"I can offer proof."

"No!" He turned, and scowled. "This is just another one of your fucked-up lies!" He turned, and jumped off the roof.

Genma dropped his face into his hands.

- - - - -

"Oh, man...Akane." Ranma shook his head. "I can't tell her about this."

"Tell me about what?"

He jumped, and turned to see Akane standing behind him. "Oh. Uh...just somethin' Pops told me. It's a lie, and I saw through it, and he's...well..."

"You're not making a lot of sense."

"Sorry." He laughed unsteadily.

"So what did he tell you this time?"

"I can't tell ya." He shook his head. "It's just too far fetched, it has to be a lie, so ya don't need to worry about it."

"Come on, Ranma." Akane grinned. "Since it comes from Genma, I can just laugh it off."

"All right." Ranma sighed. "He told me today that I'm an alien."

Akane considered this, then nodded. "That would explain a lot, actually."

"You...you believe it?"

"Not at all." Akane shook her head. "If you were an alien...I wouldn't be pregnant, right?" She patted her belly. "Incompatible DNA, or something."

"Well, he also said that 'our species' is compatible with humans."

"Too convenient." Akane shook her head. "Besides, if you were an alien, wouldn't you have green blood or something?"

"Dad says we're mostly the same." He shook his head. "Why are we even discussing it? It's obviously a load of crap."

"Hey, it's fun." Akane giggled. "'I married an alien.' So what sort of differences did he mention?"

"All he said was that he had to keep me away from doctors."

"Well. Whatever internal differences there might be, it would be something a doctor would notice. Maybe a different heart rate?" She leaned over and put her ear next to Ranma's chest. "It is kinda fast, but you're worked up."

"Ah, Akane...the heart is on the left side."

"Actually, it's right on the centerline. The main vein coming out of it is on the left--" She paused. "But I can hear it clearly." She shifted further to the right. "Even more clearly now."

"So my heart is put in backwards?"

"That can happen, but--" She paused, and shifted her ear to the other side of his chest. Then stepped back, a look of shock on her face.

"What?" Ranma looked confused.

"You--" She shook her head in confusion. "I heard a second heartbeat. Different pace, different pitch...you have two hearts!"

Ranma shook his head. "No way. Akane, you ain't a doctor--"

"I've been to see Doctor Tofu a lot in the last four months, Ranma." Akane shook her head in disbelief. "I've heard my heartbeat, and I've heard the baby's...yours is different. Very different."

"So do you now accept the truth?"

Ranma whirled. His father was standing at the door, arms crossed.

"Dammit! How could you do this to Akane?"

"Me?" Akane looked shocked. Genma scowled.

"What have I done to her?"

"You pushed us into this engagement, remember?"

"I didn't hear you complaining." Genma considered. "Well, not after the first year, anyway. What's different now?"

"Dad, she's pregnant!" Ranma scowled. "How's she gonna feel about carryin' a monster?"

"Monster?" yelled Genma. "Look, I've told you already! My people are identical to your own! Look at you! Are you a monster?"

Ranma looked down at his hands. "I wish I knew. I really do."

"Trust me, you're not. Neither is your child." Genma scowled. "There's not much chance that you will ever meet the rest of our people. Five of us came here, as a research party. Three of us stayed."

"Research?" He glared at his father. "Research how? What, did you come here to abduct humans and mutilate cattle? Maybe make some crop circles?"

"That was other aliens." Genma sighed. "This planet is taking its first halting steps into a bigger universe. We came here in 1974. Earth had just powered up its largest radio telescope, and we wanted to check it out. But our spacecraft had a navigational error, and we wound up in Japan."

"Musta been built by a Hibiki," muttered Ranma.

"But we liked it, and we stayed in Japan for some time. Eventually, two of our party members took our ship back to our home planet, but three of us stayed. I met your mother, and to be honest, I fell in love with the culture of this planet."

"But..." Ranma shook his head. "I can't believe you never told her! I can't believe you never told me!" He spat. "You just can't help lyin', can ya, old man! Well, I've had enough of it!"

"Ranma--"

"No! You shut the hell up!" Ranma's rage was growing by leaps and bounds. "I've had enough! Never again will I listen to you, for anything!" He turned his back on his father. "You are dead to me."

He turned to Akane. "I hate to ask you this, but I've got to leave. I gotta go somewhere where nobody knows me. Will you come with me?"

"Yes." There was no hesitation in her voice.

"You'll likely not see your family again. But I've gotta go far away from this lying piece of shit as I can."

"I recall making you a promise. For better or worse, in sickness or in health, until death do us part." Her voice was quiet. "Yes, Ranma. Where you go, I go."

- - - - -

"So what now?"

Ranma dropped his backpack on the train's bench-seat. "I'm not really sure. I gotta find a job, and soon...the baby won't wait while we make plans."

"You could find a dojo--"

"No." He shook his head. "I'd need the old man's say-so to be a master, or the Old Freak's." He considered. "I need to go back to school. Maybe even college."

"How?"

"I'll find a way." He looked over at Akane. "I'm sorry for draggin' you off."

"I chose to come. Stop apologizing." She glared at him.

"All right. I just hope I don't let ya down."

"You're too good a man to do so." She leaned up against him. "You'll find a way."

The train pulled out of the station. Ranma looked out the window, wondering where it was taking them.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer_

_I don't own any of the characters herein._

**Tail Kinker presents**

**Genesis**

**Chapter Two**

_June 1st, 2011_

"Hi, honey, I'm home."

No matter how many times she heard it, Akane couldn't help but grin at Ranma's now-traditional greeting. He'd picked it up from an American when he was learning English. She set the pot down on the stove, turned the heat to minimum, and walked out of the kitchen.

"Dinner is almost ready. How did it go?"

"Not bad, actually." He shrugged. "I won't know the results for a few days, but the dissertation hearing went well enough. Nobody looked overly hostile or belligerent."

"That's good."

"Is Ami home yet?"

"No." Akane shook her head. "She was going to stop over at Misaki's on the way back from school."

"Good." Ranma swept her up in his arms.

"Oh, no!" she laughed. "Put me down, you pervert! Dinner's gonna burn if I don't--"

"Oh, all right." He mock pouted, and set her back down. "Can't have you ruining dinner."

She giggled, and walked back to the kitchen. "It's nothing fancy, but--"

"Don't worry about it." He waved it off. "Frankly, I'm still amazed that you learned to cook at all."

"Yeah, me too." She stirred the pot, and checked the rice steamer. "So now comes the hard part, eh? The waiting."

"No, the hard part was understanding thermodynamics in the first place." Ranma collapsed into his chair.

- - -

_January 1st, 2004_

"Frankly, Mr. Saotome, I am rather surprised by your decision to pursue this course." The Dean glanced through his records. "Your education prior to 2000 was hit-or-miss, and consistently bad grades. Then in 2000, you re-enrolled in high school, at first year, and paid your own way through. And scored in the top two percent all three years." He looked up at the young man opposite him. "Why?"

Ranma considered his answer carefully. "I think I'd need to tell you a lot about how I was raised, Sensei."

"We do have some time, but not an unlimited amount. Perhaps you can abridge it slightly?"

"For the first twenty years of my life, I was trained in martial arts, and nothing else. My Sensei--" Even now, he refused to think of Genma as his father. "--felt that everything else would be at most a distraction from the Art. Finally, he told me one lie too many, and I decided to leave the Art."

"Just like that?"

"Well..." He looked down. "It was an impulse decision, I will admit, but for at least a year prior to that, I'd realized that I was wasting my time." He sighed. "I was the best martial artist in the world. That's not just a boast; I'd defeated people of stunning power level in single combat. But aside from fighting duels, I realized that there wasn't a lot I could do with the Art."

"You could have become a Master of your school, and trained others in the Art."

He chuckled. "I don't really have the right temperament to be a good teacher. And I lack the...personal skills. I was already thinking of upgrading my education, so that I could do something more worthwhile with the Art."

"That explains that part of it, but now you've caused me to have another question. In what way does your proposed course load take advantage of your martial arts training?"

"Mechanical engineering is subject to physical limits, same as the human body. As a proper understanding of the human body allows you to push the limits of the body's performance, so does understanding of a mechanical process allow you to push the limits of a machine's performance."

"But a machine is not a human body."

"I understand that." Ranma nodded. "However, the processes of testing the limits can be remarkably similar. Plus, any martial artist learns a surprising amount about physics and geometry. It's just that they learn it only on the instinctive level."

"I can see your point." The Dean nodded.

- - -

"Curry. Love your curry." He spooned some onto a slice of toast, and took a big bite.

"Used to be, you'd run in fear whenever I went near a kitchen."

He waved a hand. "Hey, anyone can learn. I'm living proof of that."

The door opened, and Saotome Ami ran in. "Hi Mom, hi Dad!" She gave her mother a quick hug on the way by, and dropped into her chair. "Misaki and I have our science project ready, and we're gonna win for sure."

Akane narrowed her eyes. "And how much help did your father give you?"

"None!" Ranma raised his hands. "You know me better than that!"

"Yes, I do. I know that you're a big softie who can't deny his daughter anything."

"Yeah, but you know that I'd rather have her succeed on her own merits, as long as the challenge is within her scope."

Her eyes softened. "Yeah. If you had to learn anything from the old Panda, at least it was that."

"Besides," giggled Ami. "I knew he'd be hanging over my shoulder, offering suggestions, so we did it all at Misaki's place."

- - - - -

His part-time job normally scheduled him around classes, but as he was all but finished, he was at home on a Monday morning. He hadn't entirely abandoned the Art, but his practice sessions were down to a mere two hours per day. He was most of the way through a monster 324-move kata when the telephone rang.

Normally, he would have just let it ring, but there was nothing normal about this week. He stopped the kata, and sprang for the phone.

"Saotome residence."

- - - - -

"Thank you, come again!" Akane closed the till, and checked her watch. "Hey, Maya. Ranma will be here in five minutes."

"Okay." The bookstore's owner nodded. "I'll have these on the shelf by then, and I can take over for you."

"Thanks, boss."

Working in the bookstore wasn't exactly her dream job, but it was paying the bills, and at least she was surrounded by fine literature. Well, and low-quality manga, because it sold.

Maya finished stacking said manga on the shelves, and stood up and stretched. "All right. Lemme grab a coffee, and I'll relieve you." She walked back towards the back of the store.

Akane glanced up the length of the mall. The bookstore was in prime real estate, right at the point of the corner, where two corridors met, and she could see over half the mall from here. But the food court was just around the second corner, and she could only see half of it...Ranma could already be there.

Not that it really mattered; her break schedule wasn't cast in stone, but Ranma had nothing but time until he got the word on his dissertation.

Maya returned, a hot cup of coffee in hand. "Okay, I have the till. Say hi to Ranma for me."

"Okay. Back in thirty." She turned and ran down the corridor towards the food court.

Ranma wasn't at the food court. She was a bit puzzled; he hadn't missed a lunch with her in over a year. She was just about to start searching elsewhere when she heard his voice.

"...don't care why, old man. Just get lost. I told you years ago, you were dead to me."

"Ranma, you've been wasting your life here."

Genma.

"It's time for you to accept the truth and pursue your destiny."

"Destiny? Where the hell did that come from?"

She started towards the two. She hoped she'd be able to keep her temper in check. If not...well, it had been nearly three years since she last really blew her stack.

"I told you. Nearly ten years ago. Took me that long to track you down; I'd gotten a hint that you two had gone to Hokkaido, and spent a long time searching the island."

"I know. That's what I told Nabiki to tell you."

"Dammit, Ranma--"

Ranma poked a finger at his father. "That's Doctor Saotome to you."

Akane stopped dead in her tracks. "They accepted it!"

"Huh?" He glanced over. "Oh, hi, Akane. Yeah, I just got the call about an hour ago. I've officially earned my doctorate."

"Wow!"

"I know." He chuckled, and walked towards her. "Food court's okay for now, but you, me and Ami will have a proper night out tonight to celebrate. Let's go eat."

"What about--"

"Don't worry about it." Ranma didn't glance back. "Just some old guy I don't know any more."


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer_

_I don't own any of the characters herein_

**Tail Kinker Presents**

**Genesis**

**Chapter Three**

_December 21st, 2022_

"May I be the first to present," intoned the priest, "Mr. and Ms. Ira Foreman."

The congregation burst into applause, and the sound of Mendelssohn's Wedding March filled the church as Ira and Amy Foreman (nee Ami Saotome) walked down the aisle.

- - - - -

"The scrapyard's been in his family for almost a hundred years," said Amy. "It's not at all a bad thing. I mean, the recycling income is quite high, and a lot of the expenses are covered by the Council."

"I'm not saying anything about the scrapyard," laughed Ranma. "Well, other than the fact that only you could look through a scrapyard and find the diamond in the middle."

Amy grinned. "Well, the scrapyard hardly pays the bills, is what I'm saying. It pays for itself nicely, generates a bit of side income, but the parts importing is where the real money is. And he's got something like a month and a half of vacation time saved up, and he's taking it all at once."

"Any idea where you're taking it?"

"I dunno." Amy shrugged. "Between your job and Mom's travel itch, there aren't too many places in the world left for me to see."

"Oh, please. You're only twenty-one. There's plenty of the world left to see. You can't have seen barely any."

"We're talking about the Isle of Man, actually." She grabbed a suitcase, and opened it. "A nice, quiet, restful place, where maybe half the population speaks English, and no-one understands Japanese at all."

"What about your French?"

"No French on the island, either."

"And your Russian?"

"Dad!" She burst into laughter. "They speak Manx, and some of them speak English. Nothing else!"

"What was the point of you learning all those languages if you're gonna go somewhere they don't speak any of them?"

She shrugged. "Where else am I going to learn Manx?"

"You musta got your brains from your mother," muttered Ranma. He sat down on the edge of the bed. "I had a hard enough time learning English. Your mother speaks English, German and Japanese, like a native."

"Of course she speaks Japanese like a native." Amy stuck her tongue out at her father. "And as for getting my brains from Mom...how many doctorates does she have?"

- - - - -

"Doctor Saotome."

Ranma turned at the voice. It came from an older gentleman, perhaps in his fifties. His grey hair was a bit askew, and he was dressed somewhat...outlandishly. Even Ranma, despite having lived in London for the last five years, found it odd. The red shirt and black pants were silk. The necktie was black silk as well, as was the waistcoat. He didn't bother with a jacket. Overall, he looked like an American film gangster, except a little more flamboyant.

"Good afternoon." Ranma bowed. "How may I assist you?"

"Actually, I've hit on a bit of a puzzle, and I was wondering if you can assist me." The man spoke Japanese, like a native of Tokyo.

"Hm." Ranma frowned. "What sort of puzzle?"

"Well, it's a matter of materials engineering, and I'm told that that is a specialty of yours."

"It is." Ranma's tone became a bit guarded. "But I operate under a clearance, and--"

"Oh, this is nothing to do with that. Don't worry." The stranger turned and walked down the street.

Ranma scratched his head. The stranger was distinctly odd, but seemed harmless enough. And Ranma may have reduced the amount of time that he spent practicing the Art, but he was probably still in the top ten for the United Kingdom. He caught up with the stranger.

"So where is this puzzle located?"

"New Scotland Yard." The stranger held up a billfold. "My ID. Detective-Inspector John Smith."

Ranma frowned. "This paper is blank."

The supposed Detective-Inspector paused, and looked at the paper. "Blimey. So it is." He pocketed it, and resumed walking. "No matter, really. I grabbed the wrong one, is all. The Missus bought me the new billfold, but I forgot to move the ID from the old one. Grabbed the new one purely by accident, I suppose."

"You're not married," pointed out Ranma.

The older man stopped, and looked over at Ranma. "What makes you say that?"

"No ring." Ranma pointed down at the man's hand. "No sign that you've ever worn one, even. And no person named 'John Smith' should be able to speak Japanese as clearly as you."

The man's air of careful affability eroded into irritation. "Look, let's pretend that I'm the Detective-Inspector here, and not you."

"Sure." Ranma shrugged. "Let's pretend that."

The man turned and unlocked a door, and led the way down into an impound lot beneath the Yard. "Just good luck, really, that I caught you in Westminster. I was prepared to go out to Farnborough to find you."

"You know who I am, where I work, probably where I live. But how did you know I'd be in Westminster today?"

The impound lot was mostly occupied by expensive automobiles, but the stranger ignored them and continued towards the back. "Your daughter just got married, did she not?"

Ranma nodded. "Yesterday, in fact."

"And you went so far as to have the wedding held at Westminster Abbey. The reception at the Arms. No doubt, after that, you wouldn't want to drive back to Farnborough."

"All right, I'll admit that you know lots about me." Ranma sighed. "Now why exactly do you need my help?"

The stranger stopped. "This is why." He indicated the tall blue box sitting in the motor bay.

"A phone booth?"

"Not precisely." The stranger shook his head. "This is what used to be called a police call box." He indicated a small door on the front of the box. "You would pull this door open, and a telephone inside would connect right to a local police substation. The rotating light atop could be used to summon a constable to call in." The stranger sighed. "They've been completely phased out, of course. Radios are more efficient. By 1976, they were all gone, save for a few kept for nostalgic purposes."

Ranma nodded. "So what's the problem?"

"We can't get into it."

Ranma looked at him oddly. "It's made of wood. How hard can it be to get into?"

"Go ahead and try. Bust in."

Ranma shrugged, and drew back a fist. "You don't mind if I break it?"

"Do your worst."

He threw a punch...and to his surprise, failed to even dent the surface. He stepped back, surprised. "Damn."

"Yeah." The stranger nodded. "We even tried a blowtorch. Couldn't cut the lock or anything."

Ranma rubbed his fist. "Did you try a locksmith?"

"He was completely stuck. Couldn't get the lock open at all." The stranger paused, and said, "He said that it was almost like it was waiting for someone."

"Waiting...?"

"Yeah." The stranger nodded. "If you want, I can get you his notes."

"Sure." Ranma scratched his head. "I gotta admit, ya got me interested in this now."

"I'll be right back, then." The man turned and walked back up the impound yard. Ranma turned back to the box.

"Yale lock." He fingered the keylatch. "Looks like standard steel, but I'm betting it's not. The box looks like wood, feels like wood...even has the same resonance as wood when I strike it. But it's obviously not wood. It's like this thing is deliberately trying to conceal its origins."

He stepped back, and considered the box.

"A standard Yale lock, though...Kinda weird." He started walking around the box. "Wonder why someone'd make something this small outta such advanced tech, and why they'd disguise it from something way back--"

He paused. "Waitaminute. Phased out in the seventies. Waiting for someone." He stepped up, and touched the lock.

It clicked, and the door opened slightly.

"I don't believe it," he breathed. He pushed the door open more fully and stepped in.

Into a room at least a dozen times larger than could have fit inside the box.

"I do _not_ believe this!"


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer_

_I don't own any of the characters herein_

**Tail Kinker Presents**

**Genesis**

**Chapter Four**

_December 23rd, 2022_

"I'm tellin' ya, Akane, it's the weirdest damn thing!" Ranma was all but dragging his wife into the impound lot. "I dunno how it works, but--"

"You turn into a girl with a bit of cold water, and you have to ask how something weird works?"

"This is a different kind of weird." Ranma stopped in front of the police box. "This feels like technology, not magic."

Akane examined the box, and said, "It's made of wood."

"That's what I thought, but it took my strongest punch without even denting." He touched the lock, and again, the door sprang open.

"Tougher than it looks," commented Akane.

"Yeah, but that ain't the really strange part." He stepped into the box. "Come on in."

"There won't be room in there for--"

"Get in here!"

She shrugged, and stepped into the box.

And into the huge control room.

"Wow..."

"Yeah." Ranma walked around the central control column. "About half of these controls, I think I know what they do." He indicated a large lever. "This one looks like it controls the door."

"How do you know?"

"Because of the picture of a door above it."

Akane giggled. "Okay, you got me there. What other ones?"

"Well, this one looks like a calendar, except that the dials can be manually changed." He touched the dials carefully. "They're currently set to 1973, so this thing has been sitting here for almost fifty years."

"You mean it's a _time machine_?"

"Not necessarily. It just means no-one's changed the dials since fifty years ago." Ranma shrugged. "Of course, the tech in this thing is so advanced that it must be from the future. Or another planet." He looked up at her.

"Nineteen-seventies, and another planet." Akane swallowed. "You think that this is about--"

"Yeah, I do." Ranma nodded. He glanced up, as 'John Smith' walked in. "Yo. You didn't come back yesterday."

"I didn't think I needed to." The man nodded sagely. "I see you discovered that the travel capsule will open for you automatically."

"Yeah. What's the point of havin' a lock if anyone can just wander in?"

"This capsule is of an obsolete design, with the single redeeming feature that it can be remotely operated. It was sent back after three of our party decided to remain on Earth. Now that it has opened for you, that particular trick can be turned off." The stranger held up a key. "This will unlock it."

Ranma eyed the key. "Thought you were a cop."

"Really? I didn't think that you'd believed that."

"I didn't, really." He took the key, and tucked it into a pocket. "So what now? Do you drag me off to my so-called home planet?"

"No." The stranger tapped the dials. "You're right about this. The travel capsule is capable of movement through time." He tapped another control. "This allows you to set the spatial locations. It can accept either cartesian or spherical co-ordinates." He indicated a pair of joysticks. "You can use these to manually fly the capsule." And yet another set of instruments. "These control the force field, and these allow you to scan the environment to test for safety."

"Any particular reason you've decided I need to know all this?"

The man turned back to Ranma. "We're not going back. The three of us. We've decided to stay on Earth. But you deserve your freedom. Like I told you twenty years ago, you will eventually need to go back to our home planet. They can cure the curse, and can teach you how to operate the capsule better than I could."

"How did you--"

"It's your father, Ranma." Akane's voice was quiet. "He's changed somehow, but--"

The stranger nodded. "I am. There's a thing that my people can do, sort of a way of cheating death. But it means we have to change, to literally become a new man." His mouth twitched. "Often with a different personality. I feel terribly badly about how I treated you, Ranma. I hope eventually you will forgive me. But in the meantime..." He tapped the console. "Take the capsule. Explore space and time. If you wish, visit the homeworld. The co-ordinates are in the console."

"You're really...Pops?" Ranma shook his head. "Can I do this trick, changing into a new man?"

"I think so, since your genetic makeup is mostly identical to our people. But Akane, I am afraid, is completely human."

"Whoa!" Ranma raised a hand. "Are you tellin' me that Soun was an alien too?"

"No." Genma shook his head. "Her mother."

Akane's eyes widened. "But if your people can cheat death--"

"Only twelve times. Thirteen lives, total."

"Oh." Akane looked down. "She was out of lives?"

"No. She was one of our party who chose to go home."

Her head jerked back up. "She _left_ us?"

"To be fair," continued Genma, "She was truly ill, and could only be treated on our home planet. If she had not returned, she would have died. Permanently. And once she returned, she would not be permitted to leave again." Genma tapped the control console again. "She is probably still there."

Akane rubbed her eyes.

"You haven't changed that much, old man." Ranma's hands clenched into fists. "That's still fightin' dirty."

Genma shrugged. "Even across regenerations, often basic personality traits remain." He nodded to them, and said, "Have fun, kids."

He turned and walked out the door.

Ranma turned to Akane. "Hey, are you gonna be okay?"

She pulled her hands away from her face, and grinned happily. "Yeah, I am. She's alive, Ranma!"

He didn't want to do what the old man suggested. He was quite happy here on Earth. But he knew what he would have wanted, if he had been in Akane's shoes.

"Wanna go see her?"

"Are you sure?" Akane stepped forward and laid a hand on his arm. "I mean, you don't want to go, I'll understand. Your father may have changed, but he's still a lying coward."

He chuckled. "Yeah, but I ain't. C'mon. It's my homeworld, and yours too. Probably that would make it Ami's, too."

Akane shook her head. "I don't think Ami's anything more than human. She's been to enough doctors, and they've never found a second heart."

"So? You're human enough, but your mom was an alien."

"I know." She laughed a bit unsteadily. "I guess I understand a little better how you felt now. Because I'd love to see my mother again...but I'm not sure I wouldn't end up punching her out."

Ranma grinned, and walked over to the controls. He quickly spun the dials, pausing to check them against the settings recorded above. "Okay, co-ordinates set." He walked around the console. "This looks like it makes it go." He rested a hand on the control lever. "Give the word, and we're off."

"Ranma." She bit her lip. "I'm really not too sure about this."

"Do you remember what Nabiki told me, back when my mother first came around?"

She blinked. "Yeah."

"Here's your chance to see her again." Ranma indicated the controls. "Whether you smack her for leaving, or forgive her, you won't know until you see her. And I know you won't forgive yourself unless you go."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know you. I've lived with you for a quarter of a century, and in that time, I've gotten to know you somewhat." He grinned. "And because not a day goes by that I don't kick myself for not meetin' my mother properly for those first few awful months."

She smiled weakly. "But this is different."

"Yeah. It is."

He threw the lever, and the central column began to move. A grinding, wheezing noise filled the compartment.

"But people are always the same. Human or alien." He glanced down at the controls. "Next stop: Gallifrey."


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer_

_I don't own any of the characters herein_

**Tail Kinker Presents**

**Genesis**

**Chapter Five**

_Date Unknown_

"Are you sure you have it this time, Ranma?" Akane's voice was amused, but there was a touch of worry. "I mean, I don't mind seeing all these exotic planets, but some of the places we've gone have been...dangerous."

"I think my first guess was right," groused Ranma. "This space ship musta been designed by a Hibiki."

Akane laughed. "Maybe Ryouga is an alien, too. That might explain a lot."

"It would, wouldn't it?" Ranma grinned, then spun the wheel. "Okay, I've entered the co-ordinates, just like Dad gave 'em to me. I think I got that crystal thingy set up right this time." He glanced up at the cycling central post. "Dematerialization process is complete, and we're ready to try again."

He pulled a lever, and the ship shuddered, tilting to starboard, then straightened up. The grinding, wheezing sound of the primary dematerialization coils cycled up in volume, then stopped. The center post came to rest, and telltales blinked to life on the console.

"We've landed. Rematerialized. Force field is...not coming up. Great." He sighed. "Something else is broken."

Akane checked her controls. She didn't have Ranma's education in mechanical engineering, but the pair of them had been nursing the somewhat damaged ship for the last...how long? She honestly had no idea.

"According to the readouts, the force field is fully powered, just...not working." She shrugged, and toggled a switch. "Yep. Full self-test, but no activation. Wait..." She peered at a readout. "Okay, the force field is being overridden by remote control."

"Overridden?" Ranma frowned. "I don't like that idea."

"Neither do I. Scanner?"

"Scanner." Ranma flipped a switch, and the scanner screen sprang to life.

Outside the ship was a massive courtyard. There were several alcoves placed around the courtyard, a few of them filed with various outlandish objects - A Mercedes-Benz luxury sedan, a Grecian pillar - Dorian or Ionian? He hadn't studied the classics - and a classic Wurlitzer jukebox.

Standing in front of the ship was a squad of guards. At least, Ranma guessed that they were guards, as they were uniformed and wore sidearms. One was doing something to the front of his ship; Ranma couldn't see what, but he could make a good guess.

"I dunno who these guys are, Akane, but I think they want to talk to us." He rested his hand on the door controls. "Think I should let 'em in?"

Akane frowned. "Have you figured out where we are?"

"Far as I can tell, we've actually reached Gallifrey this time." He waved a hand at the scanner. "These guys might be the local cops. Maybe we're parked in the wrong zone."

"Better let them in."

Ranma nodded, and pulled down on the door controls. The massive doors swung open, and a moment later, the head of the guard detail stepped in, sidearm drawn.

Ranma glanced down at the gun, and smirked. "Put that away, son, before you hurt yourself."

The guard looked startled, but did not holster the sidearm. "I am Security Corporal Andred. You have materialized a space/time travel capsule without contacting traffic control. This violates Statute 3359 of the Gallifreyan Planetary Legal Code. In addition--"

"You mean we made it?" Ranma grinned. "Hot damn!"

The guard blinked, and said, "You realize that by saying this, you cannot later claim to have violated our space by accident."

"That never works anywhere else. Why would it here?" Ranma shrugged. "Anyway, we've been tryin' to get to Gallifrey for a while. About..." He glanced at a readout. "About a year and a half, I think."

"And why have you been trying to get here?"

"Training." Ranma drew in a long breath, and started into his prepared speech. "My father was a citizen of Gallifrey; my wife's mother was also a citizen, and I believe still resides here. As the children of Time Lords, we are eligible for training in the Time Lord Academy. Our parents were members of the Prydonian College, and we wish to apply to this College."

"Prydonian, eh?" Andred smirked, and holstered his sidearm. "It all makes sense now. The Prydonians are a wild lot."

Ranma laughed. "Okay, so what do we have to do to sign up?"

"We'll need to confirm your parentage, to begin with." He glanced over at Akane. "Your mother is on Gallifrey?"

"Last I heard," said Akane.

"We'll get your name, and a quick DNA scan, and double-check with her."

- - - - - -

"Cardinal Borusa was able to confirm your identities," stated Andred, "but unfortunately, there was a small problem." He pointed at Akane. "This woman is not Gallifreyan."

"Her mother--"

"Her mother is indeed a Time Lady. However, Tendo has inherited her father's genetic makeup; she is human. Because of this, she may not be enrolled in the Time Lord Academy."

"Ah. I understand." Ranma turned back to the console. "We'll just be leaving then. You might want to step out, or you're gonna be guilty of desertion."

"Ranma." Akane stepped up to him. "It doesn't bother me."

"Well, it bothers me!" Ranma turned and scowled at Andred. "You guys are so superior that you won't take someone just because they're not the same as you? What the hell is wrong with you people?"

"Ranma." Akane sighed. "Weren't you the one flying off the handle when your father told you about his origins?"

"That was a lot different, Akane." He forced himself to calm down. "That was because he lied to me. An' I was scared about what it would mean for you. I mean, Ami hadn't been born yet, an' I didn't know that we were gonna have a normal kid, because of what Pops told me."

"You have a daughter?" Andred looked surprised.

"Yeah. Don't worry, though." Ranma's voice was bitter. "She's human. So I guess you won't be seeing her here."

"Ranma, I really think you should reconsider leaving." Akane's voice was quiet. "Remember how proud you were when you got your doctorate? I think that a degree from a Time Lord College might be worth a bit more."

"But--"

"It's all right, Ranma." Akane smiled. "I doubt I could keep up with the curriculum anyway."

"There is also the matter of the time required," said Andred. "You appear to be in excellent health, but your lifespan corresponds to that of people of Earth."

There was a pause, and Ranma asked, "How long does the training take?"

"Twenty years."

"Well, that's quite the long time, but--"

"Twenty _local_ years. Earth travels around its primary at a considerably greater speed. It would be closer to fifty of your years."

- - - - -

"I'm gonna miss you like crazy, Akane." Ranma grinned weakly.

"I would say the same, but it's going to seem like minutes at best for me." Akane giggled, and brushed at his hair. "At least we know why you don't gray."

"Yeah." He sighed, and stepped back. "The controls were set up by that Borusa guy, so just step in, close the door and hit the activation button."

Akane nodded, and stepped back. "See you in a few minutes."

"Or twenty years."

The door closed, cutting off his last view of her, and the sound of the ship's engines rang throughout the chamber. The police call box faded from view, and he turned to Andred.

"Okay. If you're a guard, you might be able to help me with my next job."

"And that would be?"

"My father told me that five Time Lords went to Earth, and two came back. One was Akane's mom, and I don't really care who the other was. I wanna know who the three who stayed behind were. My pop, and two others."

"I am afraid that for reasons of security, I cannot assist you with this." Andred looked apologetic. "But I can tell you that one of them also had a child, who returned to Gallifrey twenty years ago."

"So I'm not the only one?"

"No." Andred grinned. "It took us some time to unsnarl the various problems he had - apparently, he'd been to a place called Jushenkyou--"

"No way!" Ranma stared at him. "My pop suggested that you guys can cure the curse, but--"

"You also have a Jushenkyou physical metamorph illness?"

"Yeah, a curse."

"Well, we have the procedure for treating it down pat now. We'll remove it before you start at the Prydonian College."

"Hot damn!" Ranma grinned. "You said he had various problems. What other problems did he have?"

"Oh, he inherited a family problem. An inability to navigate."

"You just gotta be kidding me." Ranma shook his head. "Oh, man, it's a good thing after all that you didn't let Akane in. She still wants to kill him."


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer_

_I don't own any of the characters herein_

**Tail Kinker Presents**

**Genesis**

**Chapter Six**

_1179.462 Rassilon Era (Gallifreyan local signal)_

"Part of the problem," said Borusa, "is that you lack the proper upbringing to be a Time Lord."

"Yeah, heard it before. Human childhood, no playing with radioactive materials in the nursery, blah, blah--"

"It impacts this facet of your training as well," snapped Borusa. "It has affected all of your training. Thus the reason you failed the first time you took the test."

"Look, I know, already." Ranma was growing impatient. "I'm doin' the best I can."

"I recognize that fact, and it is what gives me hope." Borusa sighed. "But telepathy is not something that can simply be learned."

"So what do you suggest?"

Borusa considered, and said, "One of the fundamental moments in a Time Lord' upbringing occurs on his eighth year. The young Gallifreyan is brought before an artefact called the Untempered Schism. It is a rift in time and space, caused by our early experiments in dimensional engineering."

"And what does that thing do?"

"The reason that we bring Time Lords to the Schism is to expose them to the raw unfiltered nature of space and time." Borusa smiled. "A way of humbling them, to let them see exactly what it is that we muck about with. The reactions vary. Some run in fear; others become fascinated. Some go mad."

"And the ones that run away, you don't train?"

"The ones who run away, usually show great promise, for they learn exactly why we must be cautious."

Ranma pondered this, then asked, "So it's a form of trainin', and you think it could help me?"

"Why is it that your speech patterns change when you consider training?"

He was somewhat taken aback. "I dunno. Maybe because Pops' means of trainin' me ranged from the bizarre to the insanely dangerous. So you mention trainin', and I revert to who I was, fifty years ago."

"I recall that your father was less than...professional...concerning your training. The Prydonians tend to be unconventional."

Ranma snorted. "No kiddin'. So where do we have to go to see this Schism thing?"

"We shall take Transmat to the Dead Zone."

- - - - -

It was not Ranma's first trip through Transmat, but he never had learned to like them. Being ripped into millions of pieces and fired through space was not his idea of a good time. He caught his breath as the Transmat beam faded, and glanced around.

A tall Time Lord, dressed in ceremonial robes, approached the two of them. "Greetings, Borusa. This is the young man who will be viewing the Schism today?"

"It is."

"He will not be the only one today." The Time Lord nodded towards a low wall, about fifty feet from the Transmat station. "Another stands before the Schism as we speak."

"One of your College?"

"No." The Time Lord shook his head. "Prydonian."

Borusa raised an eyebrow. "Indeed?"

"He has had considerable difficulty controlling his rage."

Ranma smirked. "Sounds like someone I know."

"Here he comes."

Ranma looked up, and blinked in surprise. "Hey, it is someone I know. Ryoga!"

"How did he take it?" asked Borusa.

"He was deeply fascinated," replied the Time Lord. "Never have I seen someone so enthralled with the Schism."

"Is that bad?" asked Ranma.

"Well, it is one of the more common reactions," admitted Borusa. "Such individuals usually end up in research. However, I also tutor young Hibiki."

"Ya never told me that!"

"You did not ask."

Ranma chuckled. "Good point. So why's he here?"

The other Time lord answered the question. "His rage against you has held him back to this point. He has been unable to progress in his training. He has come before the Schism in hopes that it will temper his rage."

Borusa took up the explanation. "The Schism was created through carelessness. The same carelessness that invades a Time Lord's perceptions if he gives himself over to negative emotions."

Ryouga had reached them by this point. "Ranma."

"Yo."

"I am surprised to see you here."

"Well...I guess we haven't really run into each other for a while, eh?" Ranma scratched his head. "I knew you were here - Andred told me - but I've been kinda busy since I got here."

"I knew you were on Gallifrey." Ryouga smirked. "I'm just surprised that a coward like you was willing to go before the Untempered Schism."

Ranma bristled.

"You have no idea," continued Ryouga. "The sheer power represented by the Schism. What Omega and Rassilon managed to unleash..."

Borusa shared an uncomfortable look with his fellow Time Lord, then turned back to Ryouga. "Mister Hibiki...I consider you spend the next little while meditating on the Schism, and consider its impact." He turned to Ranma. "And now, Doctor Saotome--"

"Doctor?" Ryouga sneered. "That seems likely."

"You haven't really been keepin' up with current events, P-Chan." Ranma jerked a thumb towards his chest. "I earned my doctorate while you were still wanderin' the jungles of Asia."

"Right." Ryouga smirked. "But what you will see today will make everything you've ever learned obsolete." He turned and stalked towards the Transmat station.

Borusa cleared his throat. "When you are ready, Doctor, we can proceed."

"Yeah. No problem." Ranma turned towards the gate. "I go there alone?"

"A young Time Lord is normally supervised before the Untempered Schism. However, at that time, the Time Lord would also be eight years old." Borusa smiled, and added, "You are somewhat older."

"Just a bit." Ranma grinned.

"So you may approach the Schism alone, should you so choose."

Ranma nodded. "I think that I shall."

* * *

The Untempered Schism was flanked by two large pillars, the purpose of which seemed to be to contain the rift. Within, flames flickered against a backdrop of velvety black. Ranma paused as he approached, and glanced around him. But he was completely alone.

He stepped forward, and looked into the flame.

And saw a world on fire.

Omega's experiment had succeeded, causing the star he was tampering with to flare into a massive supernova. But he had been less than concerned with the fates of the planets around the star. Those in its orbit were uninhabited, lifeless balls of rock, but the ejecta from the supernova travelled at speeds just under that of light itself. The wave of plasma took fifteen years to reach the nearest neighbour, but the energies were still vast enough to turn the planets of that star into cinders.

An entire civilization was destroyed in just a few scant hours.

It did not end there. The star collapsed inward, its reduced diameter pushing its escape velocity above that of light itself. Omega's experiment had created something new in the universe: the first black hole. Its orbit shifted, and it drifted out of position. Twice, it passed within range of other stars, drawing plasma from their atmosphere into itself, increasing its mass further. One of those stars had a planet of its own, sucked into the black hole and converted into raw energy.

Omega had died in the experiment, sucked into his own black hole, but other Gallifreyans now fought to contain this new menace. One of those, Rassilon, successfully managed to shift the black hole into an alternate dimension, shackling it to the Citadel on Gallifrey. He learned to harness its energies, creating the Eye of Harmony.

But the devastation wreaked by the collapsar had further effects. The two stars, drained of their atmosphere, collapsed on their own, creating new black holes. Gravitational ripples caused other stars to begin collapsing, or to go nova or even supernova. Gallifreyans worked with those stars as well, attempting to slow the gravitation wave that now threatened the entire galaxy.

Eventually, they succeeded. The few black holes that survived were now isolated, one in the very center of the galaxy. But the Gallifreyans had learned a harsh lesson: Tampering with space and time has dire consequences.

Rassilon's Eye of Harmony was tapped for power, and used to further experiments in time travel. The three leading Colleges of Gallifrey united, to create the society now known as Time Lords. And for penance for what they had unleased on the galaxy, the Time Lords chose to never again interfere with systems or timelines outside their own.

Ranma staggered back from the Schism, his hearts pounding at what he had witnessed.

"Sixty billion people, killed by one man..." He shook his head. "All because he didn't know what he was doing."

"You see?"

Ranma turned, to see Borusa approaching.

"Authority must be balanced by responsibility." Borusa indicated the Schism. "We have attained the ultimate in authority - the greatest and most powerful civilization ever to exist. But we have a responsiblity to go with it, to never interfere with other societies."

"But we could help--"

"We do not know enough to help!" Borusa's voice rose to a shout. "Don't you understand that? Omega tried merely to give us a new power source, and he killed billions of people. We revere him as a hero, but we are not blind to the disaster he caused. And we must not make the mistake that he did, to assume that we know more than others."

"No. I refuse to accept that." Ranma shook his head. "We don't have to go around blowing up galaxies, but if we have all this power, we have the responsibility to use it to help others."

"It has been forbidden since the time of Rassilon," said Borusa. "Others have tried to make a difference - Morbius, The Monk, The Rani, even Rassilon himself. But invariably, the universe is a worse place for their interference."

"So what do we do with all this power, then?"

"We watch." Borusa smiled. "From the Panopticon, we observe all the universe, and when we act, it is merely to prevent others from making the same mistake as we."

"Translation, you make sure no-one else gets to be as cool as you." He spat the last word. "This is insane."

"It is the safest route we can take."

Ranma closed his eyes, and drew in a deep breath. "Well, at least this wasn't a complete waste."

"What do you--"

Borusa was cut off by the grinding, wheezing sound of a dematerialization engine, and a space/time travel capsule began to materialize next to the gate. It was the one he'd arrived in, still in the form of the police call box.

Borusa's eyes widened. "You called down the capsule! Interrupted its navigation."

"Yeah."

The door opened, and Akane's head stuck out. "Ranma?"

"I'm all done, Akane. Let's blow this joint."

"I have not finished your evaluation, Doctor Saotome," Borusa yelled to him. "You cannot leave until you complete your training."

"As far as I'm concerned, I'm done." He paused at the door, and glanced over his shoulder. "I got nothin' more to learn from you guys. You can stay here and moulder. I've got stuff to do."

"Saotome!"

He slammed the door shut behind him, and the capsule faded from view. Borusa sighed, and pulled out his comlink.

"Matrix archives." He thumbed a control. "Borusa. Update file for Doctor Ranma Saotome. Traning complete, final test passed."

"Final grade?" The voice of the Matrix was flat and lifeless.

Borusa considered, then sighed. "Fifty-one percent."


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer_

_I don't own any of the characters herein_

**Tail Kinker Presents**

**Genesis**

**Chapter Seven**

_October 11th, 2047_

The familiar grinding, wheezing sound of the capsule's engines faded out, and Ranma checked the controls. "Earth. We made it."

Akane chuckled. "It took us long enough. The Scalosians were nice enough, despite their appearance, but it just wasn't home."

Ranma shrugged. "Until we got the guidance circuits fixed, there was no way to get home."

"They aren't fixed yet. Just less broken."

"Yeah," chuckled Ranma. "And the chameleon circuit still doesn't work."

"It will be so nice to see Ami after all this time," said Akane. "We haven't seen her since just after we left Gallifrey...When was that?"

"Twenty twenty-four, just after Susan was born." Ranma smiled. "She's probably all grown up now."

"Fourteen, nearly fifteen...what's the local date again?"

"October the eleventh. She'll be fifteen today." Ranma pulled the door lever, and the capsule's doors cycled open. "Well. Shall we go say hello to the birthday girl?"

Akane giggled. "Ready when you are."

Ranma knelt next to her chair, and lifted her in his arms. Her hand, so frail and brittle compared to when he'd first met her, stroked his hair gently.

"Finally, you're starting to gray." She smiled. "I guess Time Lords do age after all."

"Yeah. I've been feeling kind of stretched thin, over the last five decades." He smiled down. "You're still doing really well for someone who's a hundred and thirty."

"Time Lord blood, just not the whole deal."

"I do hope Susan isn't too shocked."

"Mom! Dad!" Ami was starting to gray herself, though not nearly as badly as her father. "Glad you could make it."

"We did our best to get here earlier, but, well..." Ranma shrugged. "That capsule seems to have a mind of its own."

"Your father managed to crash us on a planet called Scalos, and we were stuck there for almost thirty Earth years while we made repairs."

"Way to go, Dad." Ami chuckled. "But the capsule's a time machine, right?"

"Yes, but the steering is wonky. In all five dimensions."

"Five?" Susan had walked in halfway through the conversation.

Ranma jumped. "Man, I must be gettin' old if you can sneak up on me like that." He glanced over at Ami. "Uhh, what does she know about us?"

Ami looked embarrassed. "Just about everything."

"Oh. Well, that saves time." He turned back to Susan. "So you know about our spaceship."

"Yes." She nodded. "It travels in time and relative dimensions in space."

"Well, it turns out that the steering system on it really was designed by a Hibiki. And it doesn't always go where we want. Including where in time we want to go." He sighed. "We meant to come and see you ten years ago, about fifty years ago."

Ami blinked, but Susan didn't even change expression. "But when you finally got here, fifty years late, it was ten years late."

"Yes."

Akane chuckled. "I'm glad you understand it, Susan dear. It still tends to make my brain hurt."

"It makes perfect sense, provided you are willing to think in five dimensions."

"Well, that explains it. I have difficulty thinking in three."

Ranma nudged her. "You're not that bad, Tomboy."

"So many people thought you were an idiot when we were younger." She sighed. "Wish they could see you now."

"Well!" Ami broke in. "Since it is Susan's birthday, I think we should sample one of the better restaurants in the area. What do you say, Father?"

"You know me and food," snorted Ranma.

* * *

Ira did a complete walk-around of the vehicle, then upon starting it, checked all his instruments, and nodded his approval.

"You take no chances with your car," commented Ranma. "I like that."

Ira shrugged. "You work in a scrapyard, you quickly learn respect for machinery, and learn to be wary of it."

"True enough." Ranma looked over at the other car. "Does Ami do the same?"

"Absolutely." Ira grinned at him. "You gave her a solid respect for proper routine; I just added a routine."

"Good." Ranma leaned back, and adjusted his seat belt. "I'm not really familiar with autos. Always wanted one, but never managed to get around to it."

"Why not?"

"Well..." Ranma shrugged. "It's really expensive to own an auto in Japan. Parking is almost as expensive as petrol."

Ira glanced in the rear-view mirror. "Susan, seat belt."

"Gimme a moment," grumbled Susan. "I'm still trying to get--" She managed to get the seatbelt into place, and looked up at her father. "Okay, buckled in."

"Great little car, this thing." Ira put the car in gear, and followed the other one out. "But it seats four only, no real room for a fifth. Luckily, we have the SmartCar as well." He grinned. "Picked it up for a song, last year. The guy who sold it to me had a brand-new Ferrari sitting next to it, so I guess he upgraded."

"Good deal for you."

"Yeah, but he--"

The car ahead wobbled, and Ira paused, frowning. "That's not right. Looks like the steering is--"

The SmartCar suddenly accelerated, surging ahead, its steering still obviously awry. It rolled, coming to rest on its roof in a ditch. Ira all but stood on the brakes, bringing his own vehicle to rest alongside the SmartCar. He opened his door and jumped out.

"Susan, stay in the car. Dad, let's get over there."

"Just a minute." Ranma rummaged through his pockets, and pulled out a tiny first aid kit. A product of Sontaran technology, its tiny size made it easily portable, and the many functions built into it had saved their lives on many an occasion. He opened the passenger side door, and climbed out, to see Ira bent down by the door of the SmartCar.

"I can't open the door," yelled Ira, "or the roof of the car will collapse."

Ranma stepped around the car, but paused. A sudden chill ran up his spine, and he yelled, "Ira--"

The SmartCar exploded. Ranma ducked down behind the other car reflexively, then slowly stood up. "Oh, Kami, no..."

Susan got out of the car. "What happened? It blew up! How did that happen?"

"I don't know." He shook his head, and started towards the burning wreck.

"Grandfather--"

"I have to try to save them. You stay back, Susan."

He reached Ira first, but his son-in-law was quite beyond saving. Metal fragments protruded from his body, including one temple. He then approached the still-burning car, but even given his greater than normal resistance to heat, he could not approach the car. He sank to his knees, and buried his face in his hands.

* * *

"I am afraid that both passengers were killed instantly," said the constable.

"Akane was a hundred and thirty," muttered Ranma. "She had a good run. We were coming home because she was ready to die. But Ami..."

"A hundred and thirty?" The constable looked puzzled. "Our records indicate that she was sixty-seven."

"Never mind. She was old. But Ami was only forty-five. She still had decades ahead of her. Ira was forty-nine." He shook his head. "I just wish I could have saved them. Even at the cost of Akane's life...she would understand that."

"The explosives in the car--"

"Explosives?" Ranma blinked. "It was an accident, the car--"

"The auto was sabotaged," said the constable. "A small explosive charge disabled the brakes and steering. What caused the petrol to explode, however, we do not know. There was no sign of any chemical explosive in the petrol tank, but the tank itself was just plain shattered."

Ranma stared at him in disbelief. "Someone shattered the fuel tank? With what?"

"I wish I knew." The constable dropped a photo on the table. "As you can see, the tank itself was completely broken up, into bits no larger than confetti. I've never seen anything like this."

Ranma looked at the picture. "I think I've seen something like this before. Years and years ago."

"Doctor Saotome, I must ask. Do you have any enemies?"

Ranma's face hardened. "Only one who could do this."


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer_

_I don't own any of the characters herein_

**Tail Kinker Presents**

**Genesis**

**Chapter Eight**

"Well, look at him now." Ryouga's face was locked in a sneer. "Hair all white, face all lined...you've aged. And gotten maudlin in your old age." He spat at Ranma's feet. "The great Doctor. Bawled your eyes out like a little girl, didn't you?"

It had been a very long time since Ranma had felt the urge to kill. It sang in his blood now. The cuffs, hanging at his belt, helped remind him that he was there to capture Ryouga, not kill him. Justice would be served at the Panopticon, not on the field of battle. And he had to move quickly; the Metropolitan Police Force patrolled this city street regularly, and if a citizen called for a police officer, they'd be here even faster.

"What happened to you, Ryouga?" He shook his head. "I can't believe that you'd stoop so low as to actually kill someone. Certainly not just to hurt me. And to kill Akane--"

"You know the hell you've put me through!" Ryouga waved a hand. "The Jushenkyou curse--"

"The Time Lords cured you of that."

"And you stole Akane from me!"

"She was never yours in the first place!" Ranma balled his fists.

"And the final insult...I was kicked out of the Time Lord Academy!"

"How do you figure that that was my fault?"

"Just a few months after we met at the Untempered Schism!" Ryouga scowled. "I told you what I saw there. You know the power, the promise, offered by Rassilon and Omega. And you took this from me!" He leveled a finger at Ranma. "You wanted it all for yourself, and you took it, you took the capsule - my capsule, designed by my father! You took it, and her, and you ran."

"You learned the wrong lesson from the Schism, Ryouga."

"No!" Ryouga shook his head. "I refuse to believe that. All that power, just waiting for the right hand to seize it..." He grinned maniacally. "I shall take the power, use it to become Master of all matter. Crimson flags shall fly, black troops shall march, and the drums...The drums of war shall sound."

"No, Ryouga." Ranma took a step towards him. "I can't let you do this. I will take you back to Gallifrey--"

Ryouga raised a hand. Ranma paused, seeing the small device in his grasp.

"Do _not_ call me that again." Ryouga sneered. "No longer shall I answer to that _human_ name."

"Your name. Given to you by your father."

"No!" He shook his head. "Humans...pathetic, weak things. Why do you think that you and I were so much superior to them? Who else among our old compatriots could offer you a challenge to match me? None of those mere humans. Only I. Inherently superior, by birth."

"You've snapped, Ryouga."

"Do _not_ call me that!" Ryouga took a step forward, the device held up like a weapon. Still Ranma hesitated; he did not know what the device was, but he would not risk its effects. "_Never_ call me that again! I am not a Hibiki; that was my weakling mother's name."

"What shall I call you, then?" His choice of name may give a hint to his mental state.

"I am destined to be the master of this universe. The Master of all matter. You shall call me the Master."

_Okay, he is definitely off the deep end._ "Fine. Master. Now, will you please put down the gun, or whatever the hell that thing is?"

"This?" Ryouga's lips quirked. "Tissue compression eliminator. Removes all the water from the target. Universally fatal."

"Well, how about you put it down?"

Ryouga grinned, his fangs glinting in the moonlight. "How many times did I try to kill you, Doctor Saotome? Several hundred, at least. And every time, you defeated me handily."

"But--"

"This device gives me the edge." Ryouga waved the device. "With this, I can finally defeat you. You'll pay for all your crimes against me."

"There's no need to do this, Ryouga--"

"_Do not call me that! I am the Master!_"

Ranma moved. He leaped forwards and down, moving under the arc of the device. His hand swept up, knocking the device into the air. His fist caught Ryouga in the solar plexus, knocking the wind from him and driving him backward.

"You've gotten soft, Ryouga."

Ryouga staggered upright, gasping for breath. "Do not--"

"You've not proved to me that you are in any way superior to the _humans_ that you despise." Ranma stepped forward, grasped Ryouga's wrists, and quickly cuffed them. "I ought to beat you within an inch of your life for what you did to my family."

"Why don't you?" The sneer did not waver from Ryouga's lips. "You're weak."

"You are not as strong as you think." He dragged Ryouga towards the capsule.

"No?"

Ryouga flexed his arms, and the cuffs snapped. Ranma cursed; the cuffs were military police cuffs, that he'd purchased from an army surplus store, but they'd shattered like cheap plastic under Ryouga's strength. Ryouga dove for the tissue compression eliminator, but Ranma kicked it before he reached it, scattering its fragments across the street.

Ryouga took a step back, and raised his hands. Ranma concentrated his _ki_, and Ryouga's Shi Shi Houkodan splashed off a hastily erected mental barrier. By reflex, Ranma swung his own hand, and a Mouko Takabisha flashed back, slamming into Ryouga.

Ranma stopped, and shuddered; so much rage had filled him that he'd dare not employ such an attack, but he'd done it unconsciously, and Ryouga had not been in any shape to resist or avoid it. The blast had knocked him back ten feet, and carved a bloody furrow across his chest.

He hurried forward; there may still be time to save him--

And was knocked backwards by a torrent of energy. He stood up, and stared, as Ryouga's body was wreathed in a corona of temporal energy.

And changed. The Japanese features, a legacy of his mother, melted away, reforming into a strong Germanic face. The hair darkened even further, and lengthened. His body grew, almost a full foot, and became cadaverously thin. He struggled to his feet, then collapsed as the regeneration completed.

The noise had been overpowering, especially for one who was attuned to temporal energy. Now that it had faded, Ranma heard the sounds of approaching sirens, and cursed.

"I'm sorry, Ryouga." He shook his head. "Maybe...they tell me that many personality changes occur during regeneration. I hope that you can forgive me for all that I've done to you...real and imagined."

"No." Ryouga's voice was a whisper. "You've taken from me my very identity now." Slowly he sat up. "Ryouga is truly dead now. Only the Master remains. And I shall hound you until the end of your lives."

Ranma sighed. "I hope someday, we will find common ground. But I fear that this is not the day."

He stepped back into the capsule, closed the door, anxious to be gone before the police arrived.

* * *

Susan turned as the grinding, wheezing sounds of the capsule's engines announced its return. Her face fell, however, as her grandfather opened the door.

"You didn't get him?"

"No." He shook his head. "He's escaped, the cops were coming, I had to get out of there."

"Then what shall we do?"

"We need to run," he said. "I cannot protect you twenty-four hours a day. It would not be fair to you. But if he has the chance, he will come after you. We have to run, get ourselves lost in space and time. Pack your things."

"But what about my schooling?"

"Just pack. Until we're in the Time Vortex, we can be spied on. I will tell you where we're going once we've dematerialized."

"Everything I need is already inside the TARDIS." She shrugged. "Nothing left here for me."

"Not even your photos?" he asked gently. "Don't you want something to remember your parents by?"

"I have that up here." She tapped her temple. "I can see them any time I need to." She stepped past him, into the capsule. "So we can go."

"Very well." He closed the door behind her, and started the dematerialization circuit. "I shall be leaving the name Saotome behind me for the last time."

"I thought you did that when you found out about your father?"

"I cannot use it again, ever. Word would get back to Ryouga. No." He shook his head. "Ryouga is dead now. Just as he said. The Master will be coming for me. He will be looking for Doctor Saotome. I need a new name." His lips quirked into a smile. "My father once used the alias John Smith. Maybe I'll use that."

"Where shall we go?"

"Go? Nowhere." His smile widened. "Just a temporal shift. It's the last thing he'd expect. We'll move back to fifteen years before I was born. You can still attend Coal Hill Secondary."

"Brilliant, Grandfather!"

"Safe, as well. The directional system on the TARDIS is still disfunctional; a temporal shift is safe, but a location shift would leave us lost in space." He set the destination. "London, 1963, back when your great-grandfather still owned the scrap yard. Still within reach of the school. But you'll have to live aboard the TARDIS; your home belongs to another family in 1963."

"The TARDIS has room for a hundred families. I don't think we'll use up all its space."

"Then as long as you keep your head down and don't attract attention, we should be safe." He smiled wistfully. "Safe from the Master, and from the Time Lords; as long as we don't stick out, they won't look for us." He leaned back against the console. "I've had nothing but chaos in my life for nearly two hundred years. Finally, we'll get a chance to settle down, and have a peaceful life..."

His voice trailed off, as one inescapable fact hit home.

He didn't go looking for chaos. Not ever.

But it always came looking for him.

**THE BEGINNING**


End file.
